Grain-separator.



PATENTED APR. 28, 1908,

R. J. OWENS.

GRAIN SEPARATOR. APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 1a. 190e.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED' APB.. 28, 1908.

R. J. OWENS. GRAIN SBPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1s, 190e.v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n E n D n E n I Il E E' E E E E E' Ey ,D SEATS non. f

ROBERT 3. OWENS, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

GBAIN-SEPARATOR.

no. seance.

Speecation of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Application sied .fune 1s, 190s. serial No. 322,157.

.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GrainlSeparators, of which the following is a specication, Y

The primary objectA of my invention is to provide a machine for separating one kind of grain from another and particularly to provide a machine that is adapted for separating wheat from oats, grains that are frequently grown together in a mixture commonly nown as succotash.

A furtherobject is to provide a machine of the character described, of a large capacity, and one that will make a v'ery rapid and. eilicient separation of the wheat and oat kernels Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in providing an apron arranged to lie upon the surfacer` .of a sieve, and having a series of perforations through which the kernels of lgrain pass on to the .surface of the sieve beneath.

Further, the invention ,consists in providing shields or guards overhanging the perforations to prevent the oat kernels as they fall fromone sieve from dropping through the .the 4wheat from the oats.

perforations in the apron and sieve beneath.`

Further, the invention consists in' the various constructions and combinations, hereinafter described and particularlypointed out in the claims.

1n the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication; Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical section of a fannin y mill separator embodying my invention. fig. 2 is a `plan view of a portion of one of the sieves ,showing the apron in place thereon.l 'f Fig. 3

is a detail sectionallview through several of the sieves showing the manner of separating Fig. 4 isa similar view showing the shields arranged irregularly upon the sieve. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a-portion of one 'of the aprons showing the shields arranged in horizontal rows across the apron. Fig. 6 is a detail showing a modi fied arrangement of the perforations in the apron. l

ln the drawings, 2 represents the frame of the mill having a hopper- 3, a fan casing 4 inclosing a suitable fan 5, and an air trunk 6.

v7 is the upper shoe of the 'mill in which is arrangeda series of sieves 8. These sieves are of ordinary construction and are formed of sheets of perforated zinc or other suitable sheet metal.

ably. arrange a deck 9, by which the material passing through the lower sieve is conducted Below the lower sieve I preferto'a chute 10 formed inthe air trunk so that the material passing through said chute falls through the air trunk and is subjected to the air blast therein. The undersideof the trunk is rovided with an opening which is above the ower shoe 11. lThis shoe is provided with one or more screensl 12 and the l material that reaches this shoe passes over the screen 12 andthe iine seeds and other. fine material pass through this screen and falls onto the floor below. The tailings from this screen pass olf tlierear end of the shoe. Each of the sieves 8 is'provided with a separate` sieve frame having preferably a deck section 13 'at its upper end and said sieves are preferably arranged, as shown, with the lower er'd of each sieve projecting beyond t'he lower ld of the sieve-above, this being a common arrangement in fanning mills. The sieves are ofthe well known zinc or. sheet metal type provided with the usual perforations of sufficient size to allow a wheat kernel to drop through, buttoo small to permit' the passageof an oat kernel, unless it stands on end. l The difference in the `shape of wheat and oatvkernels is utilized in this machine to effect the separation between them, it being my object to allow the wheat kernels to' fall through the sieves, while the oats pass on down over them and are discharged at their lower ends.

:In passing a b'ody of the mixed grain down over the sieves, it, is evident that if the holes are large enough to allow the wheat to fall through and too small to admit the oats, `xcept in an endwise position, that a partial separationwill take place on each sieve, but as man theoscillation of the sicves and the move- .ment of the grain, be tipped up endwise and allowed to pass through the sieves, it is desirableto provide some means for holding thc oat kernels llatwise upon the sievesuntil they reach the lower or vvdischarge ends thereof.-

With this end in 'view .l provide an imperiorate apron 14 hung on a cross bar 15 near the receiving end of the upper sieve and just below the feedv opening of the hopper. `"This of the oat kernels would, through apron may be of any suitable material, pref? erably canvas or oil cloth, and it rests upon the topof the upper sieve extending prefer-- ably down to the discharge end thc-reo The weight of this apron exerts sufficient pressure to prevent most of the oat kernels from turninfr up endwise `and dropping through the ho es in the sieve beneath. The discharge from the hopper will fall upon the upper sieve above the apron 14, and a portion of the mal terial will pass through the head end of the purpose hereinafter set forth. This apron is preferably provided at its upper end with a to the side rails of the'sieve, by which means y loop 17, through which passes asmall rod or wire 1S, the ends'of said wire being secured the apron is held in position on the top of the sieve, while at the same time is permitted a slight shucking or back and forth oscillating movement on the sieve surface as the .shoe and sieves carried thereby arereciprocated. In the apron 16 I provide a series of perforations 19 (see Fig. 3) and these perforations may be arranged irregularly or hitor-miss in the surface of the apron, as shown in Fi 6 or they may be arranged in hori- Zonta rows extending across the apron, as shown in Fig. 5. The `openings are preferably arranged in alternating series, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the imperforate space between two p erforations Ais opposite one of the perforations in the next row. The perforations may be arranged in straight lines across the apron, or they may be arranged in diagonal positions, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. No regularity need'v be followed in placing the perforations in the apron. It is only necessary that there be a 'sufficient number of -such'perforations to permit the grain to readily reach the surface of the sieve eneath the apron.

An apron 16,:Sirnilar to the one already described, is preferably provided on each of the sieves below the top one. Each-a ron rests upon its sieve and tends to hold t e kernels of oats `iiatwise thereon, While allowing the wheat kernels to slip through and drop from one sieve to the other. 55y

`I do not wish to confine myseu to the arrangement of the perforations shown in the drawings, nor to their number, shape or size, as the same are ca able of considerable modi.- fication to suit t e various conditions surrounding the use of the machine. vThese perforationaas indicated in FigS, allowy the .grain that falls upon theY apron from the sieve above to pass through onto the surface of the sieve beneath, the oat kernels being held flatwise and sliding down over the sieve,

while the wheat kernels and a few of the oats, pass through the holes in the sieves and fall upon the perforate apron beneath. The

second perforate apron has the same functions as the first and effects a still further separation of the wheat from the oats, the operation being continued to the bottom of the bank of sieves, where it will be found that a very efficient separation has taken place.

To guide the oat kernels into the perforations and prevent any from dropping down vertically and passing, while in a vertical position, through ythe perforations in the apron and coinciding hole inthe sieve beneath, I prefer to provide shields or guards 20 that overhang the perforations in the apron and present inclined surfaces to the falling oat kernels to divert them from a vertical to a horizontal position, should any of the kernels strike directly upon the shields above the perforations. If they fall upon an imperforate portion of an apron, they will, of course, drop down to a horizontal position and slide down over the apron, enter one of the perforationsand continue a downward 4 movement to the end of the sieve between l the upper sieve surface and the lower surface of the sieve. c

The shields, which I prefer to provide, are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, and consist of blocks 22 secured to the surfaces of the aprons and having upwardly turned lips or wings 23 that overhang the slots 19 'therein and cover them sufficiently to prevent the grain from falling directly into the erforations from the' sieve above. Shoul any of the oat kernels falling through an u. per

sieve strike u on the inclined surface o the wing or shiel over a perforation, it will be deflected te a horizontal position on the apron andfwork down over it to one ofthe lower perforations, entering it from the upper lside, and thence will pass on beneath the a ron to the lower end of the sleeve. If by c ance any. oat kernel in entering a perforation should'bc tipped u endwise entering the sieve, it'will be ca'ug t by the apron be neath and will be finally discharged over tl f" end of the sieve before reaching the bottom of the series. Should an oat kernel fall upon an apronA above a row of perforations', it will either ass into one of them as it slides down over t e apron, or if it misses the perforations in one row,will be caught by those in the next row.

.The shields shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are preferably of wood, but may be madeof any other suitable material if preferred'.v

The slots or perforations may be disposed in any manner over the apron and the slots or perforations in oneapron may differ from those in another, it being only necessary that there should be a suiiicient number of slots or perforations in each apron to permit the I grain to be fed'therethrough to the surface of the sieve below.

It will be understood that the more the grain `is kept-in contact with the sieve surfaces, the more perfect the sep aration will be;

at the same time the aprons must be sufficiently continuous to holdthe grain flat upon the surface 'of each sieve.

- I do not limit myself to the details of the construction shown and described as the same may be varied in many particulars out its extent, and provided with a seriesof irregularly disposed feed-openings extending rthrough it, said apron being secured at its upper edge and resting freely -upon said sieve and means 'for vdelivering grain to said apron.

2. In a grain separator, the combination, with a sieve, of an apron flexible throughout its extent, and provided with a series of feedopenings extending l through it, said apron being secured by a loose connection at its upper ,edge and resting freely upon said sieve and means' for delivering the grain to the upper surface of said apron. 3. In a grain separator, the combination, with a sieve, of an apronf flexible `throughout its extent, andprovided with a series of feed-openings extending through it, said apron being secured at its upper edge and resting free y upon said sieve and means for delivering the grain to said apron. y

4. In a grain separator, thecombination, with a sieve, of a iiexible apron provided with a series of feed-openings' extending through it, the upper4 edge of said apron being secured above said sieve and said apron resting freely upon said sieve withjthe under `exits of thel openings through the apron `or guards overhanging .practically .in the plane ofthe sieve and a. screen Wherefrorn the grain is delivered to said apron.

5.A In a grain separator, theV combination,.- I

with -a sieve, of` a flexible apron, provided with a series of feed-openings extending through it, said apron being secured at its upper'edge andresting freely upon said sieve, and means provided upon said apron for preventing grain from 4falling directly vinto said feed-openings 'and a screen arranged to deliver the grain to said apron.-

6.. In a grain separator, the combination,- with a sieve, of a flexible y.apron'secured above and resting upon'the sieve, and provided with a series o ranged upon vsaid openings and extending ver said feed-openin s and means for delivering the grain to s ai apron.

`7. In a grain separator, the combination, with a series offsieves, arranged lone above another, of a flexible apron. secured above feed-openings extending through it, and shields or guards ar- 60 and vresting upon each of said sieves, each apron being vprovided with a series of 'feedopenings extending .through it, whereby grainpassing through one sieve reaches the surface of the sieve below'through the feedopenings inthe apron restin thereon..

8.' In a grain separator, t e combination,

4with a se'ries of sieves, arranged one above another, f of a flexible apron secured above and resting vupon each' of saidsieves, each .apron being provided with a series of feedopening's' extending through it, and shields for the .purpose set forth.

In Witness whereof, I have'hereunto set my hand this 14 day of June 1906. j ROBERT J. OWENS. Witnesses:

'RICHARD PAUL, J. B. ERA.lv

said; feed-openings, `f 80 

